Geoffrey Robertson Confirms NKR\’s Legal Right to Self-Determination

LOS ANGELES — On Wednesday, April 20, the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) hosted a successful book presentation of An Inconvenient Genocide: Who Now Remembers the Armenians? written by United Kingdom’s leading human rights attorney and author Geoffrey Robertson QC in Universal City, CA. The event sold out, reaching over capacity.

“The Armenian Assembly of America was proud to feature a giant in the field of international human rights to speak to us about his findings while researching the history that led to the indisputable Armenian Genocide,” Assembly Board of Trustees Co-Chair Anthony Barsamian said. “The Armenian Assembly is eager to keep this momentum going as the Assembly’s Western Region office continues to do similar substantive work. Mihran Toumajan and Aline Maksoudian went above and beyond to ensure this event was a success.”

During the event, Barsamian discussed the Assembly’s work in Washington, D.C., the Nagorno Karabakh Republic’s right to self-determination, and Turkey’s irresponsible actions in the region, with a direct message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“Mr. Erdogan, stop killing your own people. Stop killing your Kurdish population. Stop killing Christians in the region, and stop promoting violence against Karabakh Armenians,” Barsamian stated during his speech.

The Assembly Co-Chair introduced Robertson, who spoke about the latest edition of his book. An Inconvenient Genocide: Who Know Remembers the Armenians? was originally published in 2014, and then released for a second printing in 2015 to reflect the Armenian community’s achievements and developments as a result of the centennial year commemorations of the Armenian Genocide. He applauded the Armenian American community’s tireless efforts to incorporate the Armenian Genocide in school education.

“Unless we learn from the Armenian Genocide, we will not understand the Holocaust and genocides that follow,” Robertson explained.

Robertson also spoke about the rights of the citizens of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and believes “independence is possible.”

“Armenians, the world over, are grateful for [Mr. Robertson] for bravely speaking the truth in the face of systematic denials and obfuscation of historical facts by Turkey and Azerbaijan not only on the veracity of the Armenian Genocide and the Armenian nation’s rightful case for restitutive justice, but also as a champion for the self-determination and inviolability of the basic human rights of the heroic and proud Armenians of Artsakh,” Assembly Western Region Director Mihran Toumajan said.

“It was an honor to host Mr. Robertson and to not only hear his presentation about his book but also his thoughts and feelings regarding the current conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, which so many in our community are concerned about,” Western Region Manager and Community Relations Coordinator Aline Maksoudian added.

Special guests in attendance include well-known designer Michael Aram, the Honorable Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles Valery Mkrtoumian, Facing History and Ourselves Los Angeles Office Director Liz Vogel and Advisory Board Member Charlene Achki-Repko, and Congressman Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) District Representative Pamela Marcello.